Jesus Henry Christ (2012)

At the age of ten, Henry James Hermin, a boy who was conceived in a petri-dish and raised by his feminist mother, follows a string of Post-It notes in hopes of finding his biological father.

Director:

Dennis Lee

Writers:

Dennis Lee (screenplay), Dennis Lee (short film)

Stars:

Toni Collette, Michael Sheen, Jason Spevack

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Toni Collette	...	Patricia Herman
Michael Sheen	...	Dr. Slavkin O'Hara
Jason Spevack	...	Henry James Herman
Hannah Brigden	...	Young Patricia Herman
Frank Moore	...	Stan Herman
Sarah Orenstein	...	Mother Herman
Jamie Johnston	...	Young Billy Herman
Mark MacDonald	...	Tim Herman
Mickey MacDonald	...	Tom Herman
Cameron Kennedy	...	Jimmy Herman
Lucca Tilbenny-Agate	...	Protest Little Girl
Peggi Tilbenny	...	Protest Mother
Kevin Hare	...	Delivery Room Doctor
Jack Newman	...	Stan's Cohort #1
Jack Jessop	...	Stan's Cohort #2

Storyline

Henry is a precocious young boy, conceived in a petri-dish, raised by his single mother, Patricia, and is smarter than all of his peers. However, the one question he can't answer is, who is his father? Henry's attempts at locating his father lead him to Dr. Slavkin O'Hara, a university professor who has decided to raise his daughter, Audrey, as a psychology experiment in a world free of gender bias. Patricia starts fearing that she's losing her son, Audrey wishes she didn't have a father, Dr. O'Hara has no idea how to keep his daughter happy, and Henry may just have found the family he was looking for.

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Plot Keywords:

mother | boy | post it | feminist | single mother | 

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Taglines:

Finding yourself can be a group effort.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violent images, language and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Origem da Vida

Filming Locations:

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$8,065 (USA) (20 April 2012)

Gross:

$8,065 (USA) (20 April 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Red Om Films, Reliance Big Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Henry James Herman: Why are any of us here? What is the purpose of our being?

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Black Fur"
Written by Ola Lindfelt and Fredrik Hultin
Performed by Fredrik
Published House Of Hassle
Courtesy of The Kora Records
By Arrangement with Bank Robber Music

User Reviews

It's fun, it's quirky, and it's endlessly watchable

I liked this film from the moment we witness a potted history of Patricia's childhood. Patricia is Henry's mum and Henry is a kind of genius. He is certainly different but who wouldn't be with a mum like Patricia? The relationship between mum and son is a delightful watch as is Henry's growing urge to find his father. And there is Uncle Stan another character of infinite eccentricity for us to enjoy.

The beauty of this film is that it doesn't take itself seriously and neither do the characters and yet they are all tangible enough for us to like. It echoes life it really does. When Henry discovers his real background and the identity of the sperm donor then enter Audrey, his half sister, and another lovable quirky character with an equal flair for genius.

This is a film made for the many eccentricities you can wring out of such a wacky group of characters not by making cheap fun but by genuinely exploring where these people might go with their lives. It is fun, it is funny, and its ninety odd minutes seem to fly by and so it has to be doing something right.